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Kotomora

風

wind, air, style, manner

JLPTN4StatusJōyō · grade 2FrequencyTop 1,000Strokes9

Readings

On'yomi

  • フウ
  • フ

Kun'yomi

  • かぜ
  • かざ-

Nanori

  • い
  • え

Meaning

風 centers on moving air: wind and the atmosphere. The style and manner senses extend naturally from the idea of a prevailing wind or current that shapes behavior.

Most common words using 風

24 of 775
  • 風かぜ
    N5

    wind; breeze; draught; draft

  • 風ふう
    N3

    method; manner; way; style

  • 風呂ふろ
    N5

    bath; bathing; bathtub; bathroom

  • 台風たいふう
    N4

    typhoon; hurricane

  • 風俗ふうぞく
    N1

    manners; customs

  • 風邪かぜ
    N5

    (common) cold; influenza; flu; ague; inflammatory respiratory system illness (in general)

  • 風景ふうけい
    N3

    scenery; scene; landscape; view; sight

  • 風味ふうみ

    taste; flavor; flavour

  • 風船ふうせん
    N2

    balloon (toy or decoration)

  • 和風わふう
    N2

    Japanese style

  • 扇風機せんぷうき
    N2

    electric fan

  • 風潮ふうちょう

    tide; current

  • 強風きょうふう
    N2

    strong wind; high wind; moderate gale

  • 風習ふうしゅう
    N1

    custom

  • 風刺ふうし
    N1

    satire; irony; sarcasm

  • 作風さくふう
    N1

    style (of a work, author, artist, etc.); characteristics

  • 疾風しっぷう

    gale; strong wind; swift wind; fresh breeze (Beaufort scale)

  • 風力ふうりょく
    N1

    wind power

  • 風速ふうそく
    N1

    wind speed

  • 風情ふぜい

    taste; elegance; charm

  • 風土ふうど
    N1

    natural features; topography; climate; spiritual features

  • 暴風ぼうふう
    N1

    storm; windstorm; gale

  • 露天風呂ろてんぶろ

    open-air bath; rotenburo; rotemburo

  • 神風かみかぜ

    divine wind (esp. a typhoon thought to have protected Japan from a Mongolian invasion in the 13th century)

Explore all words using 風 →

Study

Etymology

風 is a pictograph of a sail or windsock, later combined with 虫 (insect) to represent the wind that carries insects or the idea of movement. The modern form retains the sail-like enclosure and the insect component.

Meaning mnemonic

The outer shape looks like a windsock or sail catching the air, and the inner 虫 suggests things carried by the wind. Together, 風 is wind and air, and by extension, the style or manner that flows like a current.

Reading mnemonic

For フウ, imagine a strong wind blowing through a bamboo grove, making a 'foo' sound: foo -> フウ, and the wind shapes the style of the rustling leaves.